The present invention relates to an image-recording apparatus, which is able to connect to another recording apparatus, particularly the present invention relates to an image-recording apparatus according to which productivity of image-formation in image-recording system and operation performance thereof can be enhanced.
Heretofore, a recording apparatus has been known to record identical image data by combining a plurality of recording apparatuses and simultaneously sending an image formation order to those apparatuses. Since the recording apparatus usually conducts an initial setting operation preparing for image-forming operation such as pre-functional rotation, after receipt of a print order and because timing for generating entry signal to start writing differs depending on respective apparatuses, it has been necessary to level out variations among the apparatuses.
In order to comply with this demand, a recording apparatus has been proposed in which the order of image writing-in permission signals are judged, a reading operation is initiated in the image-reading section in synchronization with the preceding image writing-in signal and the image signals are transferred to the preceding recording apparatus. On the other hand, in synchronization with the preceding image writing-in permission signal, the image reading section simultaneously transfers the image signals to the plurality of recording apparatuses, with different writing-out timings so as to compensate the transfer timing to the recording apparatuses and, thus to form plurality of images. This been proposed in Japanese Patent O.P.I., Publication No. 62-263771(1987).
Further, in order to even out irregularities among the apparatuses, it has been considered to provide a large scale memory for common use to the plurality of recording apparatuses, by which the irregularities are managed by a single controlling section and operating section.
However, the above-mentioned latter apparatus stores the image data to an exclusive memory which is commonly used by plural recording apparatuses and controls the image data by a single control section and an operating section. Therefore, when the printing speeds of the plural recording apparatuses vary, it becomes unrealistic to synchronize the operation among the plural recording apparatuses in reading out the image data to be recorded from the memory.
Further, in the above-mentioned apparatus of the prior art, in order to synchronize timings of the connected recording apparatuses, output has been started after completion of reading and memorizing all the information of an original, so that output of a first copy is remarkably delayed.
In the prior art technology, a processing number has not been allocated in the light of the printing speeds of the respective recording apparatuses; therefore, productivity of image-formation of the total recording apparatus which constitutes an image recording system has tended to be lowered.
Further in accordance with the prior art technology, in the case while outputting an image by connecting a plurality of image recording apparatuses to each other, an input signal is not processed for masking since the apparatuses are operated by an image signal from outside (i.e., they are slave image recording apparatuses), so that mis-operations have been caused by human carelessness.